Multicaliber and multigauge sectional gun-cleaning rod construction and assembly

ABSTRACT

A MULTICALIBER AND MULTIGAUGE SECTIONAL GUN-CLEANING ROD CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SECTIONAL CORE-ROD, THE JUXTAPOSED END OF WHOSE SECTIONS ARE SCREWTHREADEDLY TELESCOPED INTO EACH OTHER, AND HANDLE SWIVELLED TO THE REARMOST CORE-ROD SECTION, AND SETS OF SECTIONAL TUBULAR SLEEVES TELESCOPABLE OVER THE CORE-ROD AND OVER EACH OTHER, AND INTERCHANGEABLE HEADS OF DIFFERENT CALIBERS AND GAUGES CORRESPONDING TO THE CORE-ROD DIAMETER THE FIRST SLEEVE DIAMETER AND THE SECOND SLEEVE DIAMETER AND ARRANGED TO BE SCREW-THREADEDLY SECURED TO THE FRONTMOST CORE-ROD SECTION AND ADAPTED TO HOLD THE SLEEVES ASSEMBLED THERETO.

3,609,799 -CLEANING Ron Get. 5, 1971 F. J. BuTcH MULTICALIBER ANDMULTIGAUGE SECTIONAL GUN CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Mag] l, 1969 KH M C W T w w IJ. K N A R F vm mm1 F. l1. B'uTcH3,609,790

-CLEANING ROD Oct. A5, 1971' MULTICALIBER AND MULTIGAUGE SECTIONAL GUNCONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1969 Wn. wwf V lKM N A D K R y h F NIN Nw/ Nw MULTICALIBER AND MULTIGAUGE SECTIONALGUN-CLEANING ROD CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY Frank J. Butch, Frank J.Butch Co., 5629 Tulip Road,

Philadelphia, Pa. 19124 Filed May 1, 1969, Ser. No. 821,038 Int. Cl.B081) 9/02 U.S. Cl. 1S-104.165 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE THEFIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to gun-cleaningrods, and it relates more particularly to a variable-gauge ormulticaliber sectional gun-cleaning rod assembly and construction,adapted for cleaning rifled and unried barrels of guns of short barrels,as, for instance, target pistols or service pistols and revolvers, andfor cleaning guns having various long barrels, such as rifles andshot-guns, and also for cleaning such pistols, guns, rilies andshot-guns of different standard calibers, as, for instance, a .22caliber, a .32 caliber, and a .45 caliber pistol or hand-gun. Thus, thegun-cleaning rod of the present invention is adapted for cleaning allcalibers of ritied gun-barrels from .22 upward, and the entiresize-range of unrifled barrels of shot-guns, and also guns of shortbarrels, for instance, hand-guns such as target-pistols andservice-pistols and revolvers.

THE PRIOR ART It has heretofore been the practice to provide sectionalgun cleaning rods. Such prior gun-cleaning rods comprise a solid metalrod, generally in three sections, with one of the juxtaposed rod-endsbeing bored out a short distance and threaded, while the otherjuxtaposed end is reduced in diameter and threaded, so that the two endsmay be threadedly secured to each other, end to end. A handle is securedto the rearmost of the three rod-sections, while to the outermostrod-section the cleaner-head is threadedly secured; the outer end ofsuch rod-section being bored out a short distance and internallythreaded, and the cleaner-head being provided with a reduced-di ameteredand externally-threaded rod-engaging portion which is threaded into thethreaded bore of the rod-section.

Such rods are satisfactory for cleaning a pistol, gun or rie bore whoseinner diameter is but slightly greater than the outer diameter of therod, so that as the rod is inserted into the barrel, it can receivelateral support (against buckling or bending) by contact With the innerwall of the barrel, which stabilizes the rod.

However, where such solid-rod construction is applied to a bore of apistol, gun, rifle or shotgun whose inner diameter is much greater thanthe outer diameter of the solid rod, the bore can no longer give the rodthe necessary stability.

It has also been the practice to provide swivelable handles ongun-cleaning rods, but such handle construc- United States Patent ricetions have been complicated and expensive to manufacture.

Various collapsibly telescoped contractible gun-cleaning rods have beendevised in the past, in which successive sizes of tubes telescope intoeach other so as to contract the rod when not in use and to extend itwhen in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I provide a solid core-rod, in three sections.One section of the core-rod has the swivel handle of my con, structionsecured to the rear end thereof and has a screwthreaded socket in theother end thereof. Each of the two successive core-sections has areduced-diametered and externally-threaded connector portion end at itsrear end, and an internally-threaded socket at its outer end, so thatthe core-sections can be assembled end-to-end, with aninternally-threaded head-receiving or adapter-receiving socket at theouter end of the outermost core-section. A first sectional sleeve istelescoped over the sectional corerod, with the ends of the sections ofthe sleeve merely abutted against each other, and with the abutting endsthereof staggered in relation to the abutted ends of the core-sections,and with a fairly close tit between the inner diameter of the sleeve andthe outer diameter of the core-rod. A second sectional sleeve issimilarly telescoped over the first sectional sleeve with the abuttingends of the sections thereof staggered in relation to the abutting endsof the first sleeve-sections.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, the outer diameter of theoutermost 1A" portion of the first section and of the second section ofthe second set of sleeves is reduced, and the inner diameter of acorresponding portion of the rearmost end of the bore of the secondsection and the third section of this second set of sleeves iscorrespondingly enlarged, so that the reduced-diametered outer ends ofthe lirst and second sections will telescope into the correspondinglyenlarged bores of the second and third sections (respectively) of thissecond set of sleeves. To the outer socket of the core-rod, any one ofseveral sizes of cleaning heads is threadedly secured.

The sectional gun-cleaning rod assembly and kit of my invention providesstability and guidance for the rod in several sizes of gun-bore, andprovides inherent rigidity to the rod over and above such guidance bythe bore of the gun, and permits a range of gun-calibers to be served bythe same gun-cleaning rod kit. l

By the swivel handle construction of the present 1nvention, a highlysimplified and inexpensive yet very effective swiveled handleconstruction is provided, which obviates the shortcomings of the priorhandle constructions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l represents a side view of agun-cleaning rod embodying my present invention, shown partly insectlon, for a .22 caliber pistol and showing the discharge end of thebarrel of the pistol, also partly in section.

FIG. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 represents a side view of an alternate .22 caliber rod-head.

FIG. 4 represents a view of the same rod-head as shown in FIG. 3, butshown at to the view thereof shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 represents a gun-cleaning rod for a .32 caliber rilie, partly insection, and showing a fragmentary portion of the discharge end of thebarrel of the rilie which is also partly in section; this rod beingformed of the core elements shown in FIG. 1 and the first set ofsectional sleeves telescoped thereover, and representing a furtherembodiment of my invention.

FIG. 6 represents an enlarged sectional view of a portion within thecircle 6 on FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 represents an alternate .32 caliber rod-head for use in place ofthe rod-head shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 represents a side View, in section, of a gun cleaning rod for a20 gauge shot-gun, with the discharge end of the barrel of the shot-.gunshown partly in section.

FIG. 9 represents an enlarged sectional View of the portion within thecircle 9 on FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 represents an enlarged sectional view of the portion within thecircle 10 on FIG. S.

FIG. l1 represents a side elevational view of an adaptor for a 0.450gauge cleaning-rod, shown on an enlarged scale.

IFIG. l2 represents a fragmentary cross-sectional 'view of anotherembodiment of my invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THIE PREFERRED EMBODI- MENTS OF MY INVENTION In thepreferred embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the rearmostcore-rod section or member 21 has its rear end 22 provided with anannular groove 23. Such grooved rear end of the rod-section 21 istelescoped into a tubular metallic handle-socket 24 having a bore 25 ofa diameter just slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rear end22 of the rod-section 21 and uniform throughout the length of the bore2S in its original condition, mainly, prior to assembly, as indicated bythe dotted lines in FIG. 2. A small pressure-relief hole 26 is providedin the rear end of the handle-socket member 24. .A steel ball 27 isinserted into the socket 24, and thereafter the annularly grooved rearend 22 of the core-rod 21 is inserted into the bore 25 of the socketmember 24 until the innermost end of the rod slightly touches the ball27 while the ball is seated upon the inner conical end 218 of the bore.Thereupon an annular portion of the wall of the socket-member 24, inradial registration with the annular groove 23, is contracted or shrunkby rolling or swaging, suciently to force a corresponding annularportion 65 of the metal side-wall of the socket 24 into the annulargroove 2.3, without however locking or tightening the rod 21 in the bore25 but permitting it to swivel or rotate therewithin. Such annularinward deformation of the wall of the socket 24 provides a correspondingannular recess 66 in the outer surface of the socket 24 as indicated inFIG. 2. The plastic handle 50 is then molded around the socket 24 withan integral annular portion 67 thereof extending into the annular groove66 in the outer surface of the socket 24, thereby mechanicallyinterlocking the plastic handle 50 with the socket 24 against axialseparation, as indicated in FIG. 2.

The outer end of the core-rod-section 21 is provided with aninternally-threaded connector-socket 29. The adjacent intermediatecore-rod-section 30 has a reduceddiametered threaded connector-stem 31at its rear end and a rearwardly facing annular shoulder 32 formedbetween the connector-stem 31 and the full-diametered main body of thecore-section l30. The connector-stem 31 is, adapted to be screw-threadedinto the socket 29, so that when it is tightly threaded therein, therear annular shoulder or end 32 of the intermediate core-rod-section 30will abut against the outer annular shoulder or end 33 of thecore-rod-section 21, and thereby forming a rigid connection between thetwo core-rod-sections 21 and 30.

The intermediate core-rod-section 30, has a similar internally-threadedconnector-socket 34 at its outer end (FIG. into which thereduced-diametered threaded connector-stem 35 of the outercore-rod-section 36 is adapted to be threaded for likewise rigidlyconnecting the intermediate core-rod-seetion 30 with the outercore-rodsection 36, with their similar annular shoulders 32 and 33abutting each other. The outer core-rod-section -36 has a similarthreaded connector-socket 37, into which the reduced-diametered threadedconnector stem 38 of a cleaner-head (39 or 40 or 41) or of an adapter(57) may be screw-threaded as indicated in FIGS. 5, 8 and 10.

The cleaner-heads may be any one of several forms, as, for instance, theknob-head 39, the slotted jag-head 40, and the multi-grooved head 41,illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5 and 7 (respectively). Each of thesecleaner-heads has a similar threaded connector-stem 38, which is adaptedto be screw-threaded into the threaded connector-sockets 29, 34 or 37ofthe core-rods 21 or 30 or 36 (respectively), according to the lengthof the barrel of the pistol, gun, rifle or shotgun.

FIG. l illustrates a cleaner-head (39') secured directly to the rearmostcore-rod 21 for cleaning the barrels 58 of .22 caliber target-pistols orservice-pistols or revolvers or holster-carried automatics.

FIG. 5 illustrates the attachment of a cleaner-head (as, for instance,the cleaner-head 40) to the outer connectorsocket 37 of the outermostcore-rod-section 316, for use in cleaning the long barrel 59' of a rifleor the like. While in FIG. 5 the rst set of sleeve members are shownmounted on the inner core-rod, such full-length ,gun-cleaning rod mayalso be composed merely of the three core-rodsections 21, 30 and 36,without the first set of sleeve members, or without any set of sleevemembers, as, for instance, in cleaning long barrels of small bore, as,for example, .22 caliber rie.

When cleaning a .30 or .32 caliber rie, the rst set of sleeves 43, 44and 4S are telescoped over the core-rod sections 21, 30 and 36, inmanner indicated in FIG. 5, with the abutting ends of the sleeves, atpoints 46 and 47, being staggered in relation to the abutting ends ofthe corerods as indicated in FIG. 5. The combined lengths of the sleeves43, 44 and 45 is slightly less (perhaps by M54" or 41,2", more or less)than the distance between the shoulder 48 of the handle-socket member 24and the outer end 56 of the outer core-rod member 36, so that when thethreaded stem 38 of one of the heads (39, 40 or 41) or of the adapter 57is screw-threaded into the connectorsocket of the outermostcore-rod-section 36 and the successive rods are tightened to each other,the sleeves 43, 44 and 45 will not be under compression but will be freeto rotate on the tightly connected core-rod sections.

This permits the cleaner-head,(39, 40 or 41) to swivel in relation tothe handle-socket member 24 and the handle 50 in which suchhandIe-socket-member is iirmly embedded, thereby permitting thecleaner-head to follow the spiral reing in lthe bore of the gun, pistolor rifle.

For cleaning the larger straight-bore guns such as shotguns 60, whichare devoid of riflling, a second set of sleeves 51, 52 and 53 istelescoped over the iirst set of sleeves (43, 44 and 45), with thejuncture circles S4 and 55 of the abutting ends thereof staggered inrelation to the junctures 46 and 47 between the inner or r.first set ofsleeves 43, 44 and 45, as indicated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The combined lengths of the three sets of second or outer sets ofsleeves (51, 52 and 53) is just slightly greater than the distancebetween the shoulder 48 of the handlesocket member 24 and the outer end56 of the outer corerod 36 when the core-rods 21, 30 and 36 aretightened to each other, so that when a cleaner-head (40 or 41) or acleaner-head-adapter 57 is threadedly secured to the outercore-rod-section 3-6 and tightened thereto, the outer sleeve members 51,52 and 53 will be in compression between such cleaner-head or adapterand the shoulder 48 of the handle-socket member 24, thereby preventingthe swiveling of the head in relation to the handle and providinggreater rigidity for the gun-cleaning rod.

The core-sections 21, 30 and 36 have an outer diameter of 0.198", andare used for cleaning .22 caliber pistols and riiies, with acleaner-head (39, 40 or 41) having an outer diameter or having a maximumouter transverse dimension of 0.203.

For cleaning .30 caliber, .32 caliber and .38 caliber pistols or rifles,a first or inner sleeve section (43) or the set of first or inner sleevesections (43 and 44 or 43, 44 and 45) is telescoped over the core,according to the length of the barrel. The inner diameter of the firstcoresections is 0.203" and their outer diameter is 0.240". It

a .30 caliber barrel is to be cleaned, then a cleaner head having anouter diameter or a maximum outer transverse dimension of 0.225" issecured to the outermost core member. If a .32 caliber barrel is to becleaned, then a cleaner-head having an outer diameter or maximum outertransverse dimension of 0.278" is secured to the outermost core member.If a .38 caliber barrel is to be cleaned then a cleaner-head having anouter diameter of maximum transverse dimension of 0.312" is secured tothe outermost core member.

If a .45 caliber rie or a 410 gauge shot-gun or a 16, 12 or gaugeshot-gun is to 'be cleaned, then the second set of sleeve sections (51,52 and S3) is telescoped over the first set of sleeve sections (43, 44and 45). The second set of sleeve sections 51, 52 and 53) have an innerdiameter of 0.250 and an outer diameter of 0.375. If a .45 caliber rieis to be cleaned then a cleaner-head having an outer diameter or havinga maximum transverse outer dimension of 0.395 is secured to theoutermost coresection. If a .410 gauge shotgun is to be cleaned then acleaner-head having an outer diameter or maximum transverse dimension of0.322 is secured to the outermost core-section. If a 16 gauge shotgun isto be cleaned, then a cleaner-head having an outer diameter or a maximumtransverse dimension of 0.380" is secured to the outermost core-section.The same applies to 12 gauge and 10 gauge shot-guns, for which a brushor Wire cleaner is screw-threaded to the outer end of the outermostcore-rod section in the manner indicated hereinabove.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, the outer diameterof a "/16" or so length of the outer terminal portion 61 of the outersleeve-section 51 and a similar outer terminal portion 62 of the outersleeve-section 52 is reduced in diameter, and the inner diameter of acorresponding rear terminal portion 63 of the bore of the intermediatesleeve-section 52 and of the rear terminal portion 64 of the bore of theouter sleeve-section 53 is correspondingly enlarged, so that thereduced-diameter outer ends 61 and 62 of the sleeve-sections 51 and 52will telescope into the enlarged-diametered rear bore portions of thesleeve-sections 52 and 53, respectively, as indicated in FIG. 12.

For example, with the outer diameter of the sleevesections 51 and S2ybeing 3&5, the diameter of the terminal portions 61 and 62 thereof maybe reduced to .309". Similarly, with the inner diameter or bore of thesleevesections 52 and 53 being Mt, the corresponding rear terminalportions 63 and 64 of the bores thereof are enlarged to .312".

Such telescoping gives the outermost sectional tube portion of thegun-cleaner greater rigidity and hence gives the entire gun-cleanergreater rigidity when the outermost sleeve is in place.

I claim:

1. A gun-cleaner for alternately cleaning riiled and unried barrels ofdifferent lengths and bores, comprising a plurality of solidcore-sections adapted to be screwthreadely secured to each other,end-to-end, a handle swivelably secured to the rear end of the rearmostcoresection, a plurality of iirst sleeve-sections adapted to betelescoped over the core-sections with but a slight radial clearancetherebetween, a plurality of second sleeve-sections adapted to betelescoped over the first set of sleevesections with but a slight radialclearance therebetween, and a cleaner-head adapted to bescreW-threadedly secured to the outer end of one of the core-sections,whereby barrels of different bores may be cleaned.

2. A gun-cleaner according to claim 1, in which the combined length ofthe first sleeve sections is slightly less than the combined length ofthe core-sections.

3. A gun-cleaner according to claim 1, in which the combined length ofthe second sleeve sections is slightly greater than the combined lengthof the core-sections.

4. A gun-cleaner according to claim 1, in which the junctures betweenthe rst sleeve sections are staggered in relation to the juncturesbetween the core-sections.

5. A gun-cleaner according to claim 1, in which the junctures betweenthe second sleeve sections are staggered in relation to the juncturesbetween the first Sleeve sections.

6. A gun-cleaner including a core rod and a handle therefor, said handleincluding a tubular socket member and a molded plastic outer handleportion in which the socket member is firmly embedded, the end of saidcore rod being telescoped into the tubular socket member, an annulargroove in the telescoped portion of the core rod, a registering portionof the tubular socket member being deformed inwardly and projecting intosaid groove Without binding and without interfering with the rotation ofthe core rod in relation to the socket member, and said deformationforming a corresponding recess in the outer surface of the tubularsocket member, and a corresponding integral portion of the moldedplastic outer handle portion extending into said recess and mechanicallyinterlocking the outer handle portion and the inner tubular socketmember with each other.

7. A gun-cleaner according to claim 6, including an antifrictionbearing-ball in the socket-member, operatively disposed between theinner end of the core-rod and an inner transverse shoulder in the boreof the socketmember.

8. A gun-cleaner according to claim 1, in which the meeting ends of thesecond sleeve-sections are telescoped into each other for a shortdistance; one of the meeting ends having its outer diameter reduced forsuch short distance and the other meeting end having the inner diameterof its bore correspondingly enlarged for such short distance to permitsuch telescoping.

9. A gun-cleaner according to claim 6, in which the inward deformationof the tubular socket member is annular and in which the resultantprojection of the socket member into the groove in the telescoped rearend of the corerod is likewise annular and in which the resultant recessin the outer surface of the tubular socket member is also annular and inwhich the integral portion of the molded plastic outer handle memberwhich extends into such annular recess is likewise annular andsubstantially lls said recess.

10. A gun-cleaner for alternately cleaning rifled and unried barrels ofdilferent lengths and bores, comprising a plurality of solidcore-sections having substantially the same and generally uniform outerdiameters and adapted to be screw-threadedly secured to each other,end-to-end, one of the juxtaposed ends of each pair of abutting ends ofsaid core-sections having a screw-threaded connectorsocket therein andthe other juxtaposed end of each pair of abutting ends having areduced-diameter threaded terminal portion adapted to bescrew-threadedly telescoped into the juxtaposed connector-socket, ahandle swivelably secured to the rear end of the rearmost core-section,a plurality of sleeve-sections having substantially the same andgenerally uniform outer and inner diameters and adapted to be telescopedover the core-sections in end-toend relation to each other and with buta slight radial clearance between the core-sections and thesleeve-sections, and a cleaner-head adapted to be screw-threadedlysecured to the outer end of one of the core-sections and to retain thesleeve-sections assembled end-to-end on the core-sections, wherebygun-barrels of different lengths and bores may be cleaned.

11. A gun-cleaner according to claim 10, in which one of the juxtaposedends of each pair of juxtaposed ends of the plurality of end-to-endsleeve-sections has its outer diameter reduced over a short terminalportion thereof, with an annular shoulder between such reduced-diameterportion and the outer diameter of the rest of the sleevesection, and inwhich the inner diameter of a corresponding terminal portion of the boreof the other juxtaposed end of the pair of juxtaposed ends is enlargedto a diam- 8 1,556,494 10/1925 cooper 15 1o4.165

eter snugly to receive the aforementioned reduced-diameter portion ofthe first-mentioned juxtaposed sleeve-end.

12. A gun-cleaner according to claim 1, in which the combined length ofthe rst sleeve sections is slightly less than the combined length of thecore-sections and in which the combined length of the second sleevesections is slightly greater than the combined length of thecoresections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1929 Petersen 287-91 EDWARD L.ROBERTS, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

